Attachment for measuring tapes



June 25, 1935. E 1 WITCHGER 2,005,850

ATTACHMENT FOR MEASURING TAPES Filed Jan. 29, 1934 EUZSENE (f4 WJTCHGER Patented June 25, 1935 ATTACHMENT Fon MEAsUmNG TAPES EugeneJ. Witchger, SaginawyMich., assignorl to The Lufkin Rule. Company, Saginaw, Mich., a

corporation -of Michigan l Application January 29, 1934, serial No. 708,798

` rv5 Claims. V(Cl. ss-is'z).

. ThisV invention 'relates to metal -measuring tapes, particularly surveyors tapes, which are thin, narrow, very long and usually provided ywith detachable ring-handles.

Among' the objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a, tapeereinforcing device in the form of a flat strip of ribbon metal or its equivalent, arranged to minimize the chance of l breaking the tape near its end or'adjacent its handle during the ordinary-use of a surveyors tape. I f I For example, serious loss is often caused by breakage of tape vmeasures wherein the tape is fastened to the fiat inflexible body member of a ringetype handle. At the end of' such a-body member there is "developed a tendencyvfor the tape to bend sharply'and sometimes break when the 'operator triesto whip a long length fof tape into position for taking measurements. Similar tendency to -break is occasioned in many other circumstances of use I Another object is tofprovide an efiicientresilient reinforcement memberv forthe tape handle end, having at one end'a'sliding connection to the tape that'will accommodate itself to the 'movei ments occasioned by the fiexure of theftape, thus giving adequate support to ythe otherwise over stressed vpart ofi the tapenear the bend; and an improved means for detachably securing the tape to the handle and to the flexible reinforcing member.

Fig. 1 is a plan View. showing a preferred form of the apparatus with measuring tape attached. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l showing the resilient reinforcing member applied to the ring handle, the manner of attaching the'tape being indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is an edge view, partly in section, of the parts shown in Fig. 1,v the exed position of the tape and reinforcing member being indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the parts shown in Fig-2. y

Fig. 5 is a plan View showing another form.

Fig. 6 is an edge view of Fig. 5, the flexed position being indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 5 showing a modified form of tape reinforcing member.

Similar referencel characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now more particularly yto the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 4, there is illustrated at numeral I the tape reinforcing mem-v ber of my invention, made of a bendable strip of resilient ribbon metal which may `be va piece `oftape -material preferably 'abouty twenty-fiveV per cent thicker than'theftape withwhich it isbeing used. 'Member I ifs' placed lengthwise uponuthe non-flexible'body 2 ofthe usual -tapeffhandley 75 being fastened at 3, as by spot welding." A. hook 4 onthe edge of `body 'i isbent to overlay the rej-vv inforcing member Agp'in'i projectslup'wardly from the facev of member I. The bodyl 2 is' hinged at s to a ring 1, the-parts 2 and 1 constituting kthe 10 usualj tape handler" Reinforcing member., I rex-V tends -Va substantial distance' from the bodyv 2, about two and ahalfinches being suitable for use with a tape'a quarter of aninch wide, and is 1r L) placed faceto`face against the tape 8 whenin `A keeper 9 is located on reinforcing member I remote 'from the body 2."Tl'1e keeper iis in the form of a pair of opposedlug's. Their' function is to keep the tape'v and the? member I face to face, 20 one being slidable vWithrespect to the other. Endwise creeping ymovements of the keeper `S-'and member I relativelyy tothe tape 8 are thus permitted while the tape yand'rnember Itogetli'er are being bent laterally, as shown Vby 'the dotted linesf-Figs. 3 "and 6'. I Moreover, the lugs 9. of the keeper aref arranged so -asto' permit the end of tape 8 to vha'velimited angular or ysidewise slidr ing movement relatively to body 2, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 2. 30 i If thev keeper is carried by the reinforcing member I, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, its lugs 9 may be formed ona base I U, spot welded at I I to member I. v

The tape is applied to the reinforcing member I by slipping it endwise under lugs 9 as indicated l by the dotted lines, Fig. 2, then moving it anguflarly underneath the hook 4 and fastening it by the pin connection at 5, Fig. 3. 1

Whenever the tape is bent as shown' in Fig. 3, ,orr 40 in the opposite sense, the resilient member I acts as a leaf spring that constitutes a flexible backing for the tape near the handle. Thus any bending action to which the tape is subjected in' use'must produce along, even bend without setting up strains that might tend to weaken or break the tape. n

The arching action of the tape and the member I causes them to slide a little endwise, one upon the other. Such sliding or creeping movement, 50 greatest near the keeper lugs S, permits `the strip I to keep closely fitted to the tape, thereby eifectively supporting it under all conditions of use.

' Instead of welding thebendable resilient memberwI to the handle body 2 and to basen I0 of lugs 55 f .from a single piece of metal.

If, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, permanent attachment of the tape to the -end of reinforcingfmember l is provided, as by welding at I2, they can be pin-connected to the body 2 of a ring handle in the same manner as the tape is shown connected in Fig. 3,01* thenparts 8 and 1.2, .or 8and..,l3, may be used\withoutarhandle, asiin'flligsg, ,7. `=In any case 'the member 'I yieldingly reinforces the .tape Without ysetting up in it any endwise `orH buckling stresses and prevents its being sharply bent or broken.

vIn Fig. 7 is shown a form of the invention' wherein two spring wires I3, il@ A'are welded *to the tape at its longitudinal edges and the `free ends of the wires are shaped to slidingly engage the tape at I4 to serve thesa'me purposes asnthe keepers 9. l l 4 Changes couldbe made in-carrying` out'the above Itypical constructions :without -dtiparting fromzthe. scopefof `fthefinventixinanditisiintenided that 'ffall .matter :contained :in fthe above descripf tion or.shown the faccompanyingdxawing shall beinterpreted fas illustrative mnd fnotin-ta dimitingsense. .l

1 Having ,thus .described any finvantion, what I claimfanddesiretoisecureibyLetters-iPatentiis; i1. The combination withzafmetaltaperhaving a, :handle and zmeansldetaclxahly securing the tape thereto, l.a:reinforcinginfiemberof bendablejresilient `x'ibrbon :metal fixemlengthwise \to the handle body vsand the fend thereof a`substantial distance rand :.overlying'rthe tape; -a :keeper `:slidingly nonnectingj .the italie itc said resilient reinforcing member at a. point.-

ymote vfrom Ysaid handieY bodyfand eanmnged, to

permit relative :endwise movements ufxthe ikea/per and :tape :uponfcoincidentdateral :bending (of y tape andrreinforcingfmembenaidrdetachablersecuring means land: said :keeper :beingi arranged to permit angular-sidewisemlidingimovementfithe tape end irelativelyitoithe body.

2." The combination with 5a .metal a .handle body and meansndntachablyfsaecming .the tape thereto, .a zbendable mininrcingrmembnr 'of resilient :ribbon metal ixed lengthwise ftofthe Y body andl extending :afsuhstmtialidistance from the end of the body and overlying a face of the tape, a keeper slidingly connecting the tape to the bendable reinforcing member at a point remote from said body and arrangedl to permit relative movements of the keeper and tape in a direction lengthwise of the tape upon coincident tape and reinforcing memtending lengthwise of the tape and overlying a face thereof, Aan \endof said resilient reinforcing memberv beingfastened to the tape, and a keeper slidingly securing .the reinforcing member to ,thettape' so .thatcconioint exing of the tape and bendable reinforcing member imparts to the portion of the tape adjacent the keeper sliding movements relative to the tape in the direction of its length.

Lili-*measuring tape having in combination', a resilient fbendable reinforcing member extending lengthwise ,of the tape foria substantial A,distance from an end thereof, an'endriof tsaid tapeibeing fastened to .anend of `said reinforcingmember, a keeper remote -from :said fastening lxmeaiis slidingly connecting4 `thereinforcing member to :the tapeiso thatconjoint flexing :of fthe-tape andthe bendable ireinforcing :member produces movo ments; of Athe member and1ftapeirelatively to each other in the direction of their length at a placememotefrom the lfastening means, aimndleihaving a body portion-and means detachably themape to,said .body portion.

- 5. .A. measuring vtape :having in combination ia reinforcing :member comprisinga strip' of diendable Aresilient ribbon :material overlying a face of the -tape and i extending lengthwise ithereof, a fastener releasablylsecuringan end offsaidsbendable-reinforcing @member to the tape adiaoexitfnn end thereof, and a keeper rremote 'fsaid' fastenerk vand adapted ytoasecure the 'other'.end

of |the fbendabIe'reinUrcmgifmember slidingly 'Lto the tapefsothatfconj ointexing f of fthe-:taneyani hendable zreinforcingv member imparts to the'said remote :portion .f of `the keeper :sliding :movements relative to fthe i tape inl thefdirection: of; its length. I J. 'WITCHGER v 

